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Friday Poll: How do You Protect Your Android Phone?

We actually asked this same question a year ago, but the smartphone landscape has changed some. Now that massive screens are the norm – some as much as 5.3″ – and prices are in the $299 range on contract, we need to ask it again. Some would argue that bigger phones are less easy to handle and more likely to be dropped than something you can wrap your hand fully around. We are just curious if the “hummer” and higher price trends have altered your view of cases or screen protectors. For years I was never interested in a case and kept my phones completely naked, but this new Ringke SLIM is too good to remove. Screen protectors though, can’t do ‘em.

What about you? Has the bigger phone trend and higher prices forced you to change your approach to device protection?

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androidify case for extended battery days and otterbox communter for regular battery days… no screen protector… why when the screen doesnt scratch? all it does is intensify the finger prints

JoshHenry

I’m super particular about my things. So for something that I handle daily, protection is a must! Any scratch, nick or dent drives me crazy.But I still like to showcase the beauty of my phone, so I look for the least obtrusive case and screen protector I can find. Something like the Otter box cases is overboard.

Adecker246

I run my phone naked, I have Best Buy Black Tie Protection so if anything happens new phone for me alongside no deductible! The best deal ever!

cristian donose

Really need to use a case and acreen protector where i work. Otherwise my phone is damaged very fast…

machineheadg2r

I learned the hardway from my caseless og droid. Now I got the otterbox defender and it has saved my gnex enough over the past month that I have owned the phone to justify buying it. I got it as part of a grand reopening sale at my local verizon store. $75 worth of free goodeies

http://www.tedpavlic.com/ Ted Pavlic

Why didn’t you include full body/maximum coverage skins? (e.g., the wet and dry products available from Zagg, Skinomi, Bodyguardz, etc.)

Hohlraum

Otterbox Defender FTW

http://twitter.com/SoWhy SoWhy

I used to have a leather case for my HTC Desire but it was annoying to use in the long run and since I have dropped it several times and the worst that happened was the battery flying out, I no longer use anything.

jdrch

Back when I had a Droid 1, I discovered I actually dropped my phone *less* without a case than with one. Also, the screen protector kept coming off. I ditched both case and protector, and have been using my Galaxy Nexus naked since I replaced the Droid with it too.

eddieonofre

I cuddle with it every night so it doesn’t get cold.

Smooth918

For my Nexus I use one of these ( http://goo.gl/Agie8 ) cause I can’t stand smudges on my screen and one of these ( http://goo.gl/5Awjf ) because its to slippery without it and it keeps it Sexxy.

Andy

I keep my galaxy nexus in a Oakley sunglass microfiber soft pouch with a draw string. It keeps the lint and other crap off the phone and it doubles as a screen cleaning cloth! This has worked perfectly for me since my OG Droid…hope this helps!

Bfum1059

a shotgun

greenbacks

My Gnex is to slippery when naked… wish I could go full Monty but I use a invisa shield with low profile case.

dylan84

Otterbox Defender. Even though I hate that it makes my phone look like a brick.

tomn1ce

Screen protector, protective cover and carrying case. I don’t carry my phone in my pockets. I am thinking of replacing the current screen protector. It’s a magnet for skin oil which in turn acttracts more foreign particles. Anyone has a suggestion for a good screen protector for the G-Nexus…

Brandt Brown

Zag + Ringke SLIM is the winning solution for me

SKAVENG3R

Zag is the standard form screen protection!

Jason Roberts

My original Droid went caseless for the two years of its dutiful service, but only because it was built like a goddamn Panzer. My Nexus is covered with a crappy Incipio rubber/plastic shell case I got from Verizon until I come across something better. The rubber bit attracts lint and dust from my pockets and the innards are always dusty.

trumpet444

Still with my OG Droid and after more than two years, I have only dropped it once….and it was two weeks ago. I did buy a case for it at first but got rid of it bc it made it too bulky. Never bought insurance on it either. I just take care of my stuff

Michael Quinlan

My OG Droid was naked from day one, mostly due to the fact that the desk and car docks would not accommodate a case. However, the Verizon holster worked well and the phone proved itself durable the couple times I dropped it.

As for my Bionic, I found the Verizon shell/holster combo completely unacceptable, and the Technocell case/holster didn’t secure the phone well enough and the case fell apart once when dropped. I’m now using an Otterbox Defender, and although I’m disappointed with the belt clip on the holster, the overall protection is second to none.

If manufacturers would take cases and holsters into consideration when designing a phone, things would work much better, IMO.

I just use the convenient case the manufacturer provided to cover all the delicate electronics. It’s great, instead of bare wires and circuit boards, and batteries and stuff, it’s made of nicely textured plastic on the back, and a special high strength glass on the front over the display.

http://twitter.com/cokekid76 Luke Mattson

ivisor screen shield + otterbox

http://www.facebook.com/sjtilney Scott Tilney

I hate cases, so I protect my gNex with insurance. That should have been an option.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Joe-Buck/100003482949493 Joe Buck

lol my 4th nexus will be here monday, so I guess I havent had one long enough to worry about it lol

Tim242

lol doesn’t disguise negativity

Paul

No cases or screen protectors for my phones. Takes away from the design, in my opinion. And the RAZR is tough as hell.

Caleb Martin

I don’t have anything on my Rezound; I feel like a case would make it too bulky because of its size, and I am fairly good at taking care of my electronics. Of course, accidents do happen, but that’s a risk I am willing to take.

I did have a silicon cover on my Incredible, but I only bought it after receiving a Verizon Store gift card for participating in one of the “droid hunt” events when the Droid X was being released. It was nice, and provided a better grip, and there were a couple of minor drops that I always wondered how they would have turned out without a case, but I don’t feel like it was really a necessity.

http://www.Nave360.com Sebastian Gorgon

Naked phones, with phones getting so many protective materials out of the box and Gorilla glass, it’s simply a waste of money to buy cases and screen protectors, not forgetting they make the phone fatter and sometimes uglier

Seiga

I applied Ghost Armor to my Galaxy Nexus. It keeps the phone thin and not bloated like most cases, and protects the shell and glass. Life-time warranty and If any major damage is done to the casing and protector, I just have to go to a Ghost Armor mall kiosk to have it re-applied for a couple of bucks. Cost me only $25 to get the whole set with a coupon.

Wpscompute

My OG Droid is 2.5 years old and only shows a little wear on the edges of the screen bezel. Gorilla Glass is the best.

http://profiles.google.com/jtsurf18 Jason Downing

Someone forgot to do some editing over at rearthusa… See if you can spot it

Matthew Merrick

screen protector? really? i thought in this day of gorilla glass and giant tablet screens we had moved past those?
as for cases, after buying a silicone one for my ipod classic the first 80 gog model (before my first cell phone) i decided that it was a fairly usless concept. i might get a hard case if i had a thin enough phone to not make it rediculous (i’d rather use the added bulk for a slightly extended battery), didn’t have a dock, and could find a hard case that looked and felt as good in my hand as the naked phone.
and putting a case or screen protector on a tablet is just silly.

http://twitter.com/BossAsHell Boss As Hell

I was once and no protection advocate. Didn’t have a screen protector or case on my G1 or my DX which I babied, but even then I still ended up with some scuffs. This time around with my Galaxy Nexus I bought both a couple days later. Diztronic matte case(amazing) from Amazon and a Boxwave screen protector and now I’m all about protecting my stuff. Also like black phones and the Diztronic gives that appearance perfectly minus the little cut outs.

termiNader

Galaxy nexus screen actually gets scratched up really easily. Just from putting it in and taking it out of my pocket

termiNader

Actually kellex, it’s probably the other way around. I would rather have a case on a smaller phone because if you put one on a big phone it will make it bulkier than it already is.

trevorsalienarms

GNex sporting a Steinheil Flex on the front, Diztronic Rev 3 on the back.

Anthony Armando

when getting my ngex on release day i only had a screen protector on. about a month later i bought a case. i bought a case for a several reasons.

first, the og droid really spoiled me and i am very use to just tossing my phone about; tables, desks, floors, etc. second, i found myself using it a lot more than i ever used the og droid, this meant it was more likely to be in my hands and more likely i would drop it, especially with its slimmer design, and the fact that i have small hands. third, i found myself placing the gnex on smooth surfaces instead of back in my pocket because i would go back to using it quickly. since the gnex doesnt have much “stick” to these surfaces a rubber case helps prevent sliding and thus dropping.

i take it out of the case a couple times a day (put it into workout armband, prevent over heating when used for extended durations, etc) but using a case is more practical for me though i would rather not.

a screen protector is hardly noticeable, does not impair performance, and just saves the screen.

i pay for insurance for total unit failure not for small stuff. i would like to avoid being without a phone for any period of time due to a claim.

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